Sci-Fi Web Series Are The Future

A few decades ago, science fiction (sci-fi) was a genre treated like a bastard stepchild by almost every studio and network in Hollywood.

For example, the original Star Trek series was always on the verge of cancellation, but Gene Roddenberry's force-of-personality kept the series on air for three ground-breaking seasons before finally being cancelled by NBC.

It wasn't until years later in syndication did the show reach iconic status, spawning hit spinoff series and blockbuster motion pictures.

The fact of the matter is, Hollywood suits still don't quite get sci-fi - or how the genre can powerfully connect to fans in a visceral way few others can match.

The Web To The Rescue!

Thank god for the web.

Many talented filmmakers fed up with the traditional network and studio system are using the web as a viable alternative to bring their unique visions to life.

With recent technological advances, many of these independently financed and produced projects feature production values that rival content produced by Hollywood.

These sci-fi projects also feature original concepts and themes - unlike Tinseltown, which is obsessed with spewing out a continuous river of uninspired sequels, reboots, and remakes.

All in an effort to strangle every ounce of profit out of once compelling stories.

The web truly is the new frontier for exciting, innovative and fresh science fiction.

For that very reason, I am very pleased to present The 7th Matrix list of the top 20 sci-fi web series of 2013.

Please note, many of these projects were produced in previous years, but all were discovered and featured on the site in 2013.

These web series feature a special blend of compelling premise, exceptional production value, style, and vision that sets them apart from the rest.

So strap yourself in, and prepare to enter worlds fantastic with part one of our top 20 sci-fi web series listing!

20. Guides The Web Series

Imagine if the greatest, most enlightened humans to ever walk the earth weren't human at all?

Instead, what if they were highly evolved, benevolent aliens vainly trying to get backwater Earth to catch up with the rest of the galaxy?

This is the premise behind one of the most funny, witty science fiction comedies of the year.

What struck me most about Guides is while it tickles your funny bone, it also sucker punches you with cutting insights about the human condition.

14. Journey Quest

Journey Quest earns a place on this list of 2013's best not only because it revels in being a good, old-fashioned, quest-based fantasy adventure, but also because of the innovative way it's produced.

Produced by Zombie Orpheus Entertainment (ZOE), Journey Quest relies on its fans for support, instead of network or studio backing.

The reason for this is stated explicitly in ZOE's mission statement: No Studio, No Network, No Cancellation.

Being solely dependent on fan support for financial as well as creative feedback, Journey Quest producers strive to deliver exactly the kind of entertainment their target audience wants - which is imperative if the series is to continue.

13. BAMF Girls Club

What would happen if the most badass heroines from pop culture were domiciled in one house similar to a Big Brother style reality show?

That ingenious premise is behind the smart and funny web series BAMF Girls Club.

Created by the comedy masterminds of Comediva, BAMF Girls Club imagines Buffy Summers, Hermione Granger, Katniss Everdeen, Lisbeth Salander, Michonne - and oh yeah, Bella Swann - as reality show participants who must try to peacefully co-exist under one roof.

11. Neibauer

This sci-fi detective story earns its place on our list primarily due to its premise: In the near future, technology has been developed that allows homicides to be solved by "rebooting" murder victims.

Complete with a hard-boiled detective, and a murder mystery with twists a-plenty, Neibauer pays homage to film noir classics such asThe Maltese Falcon.